1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic latent image holding body, a process cartridge, and an image forming apparatus.
2. Related Art
A magnetic printing apparatus that allows printing of a required number of copies in a single operation of forming a latent image is known. In this magnetic printing apparatus, a magnetic latent image that is magnetically formed is held on a magnetic recording medium (a magnetic latent image holding body), and in a development region, a magnetic toner is supplied to the magnetic recording medium so that the magnetic latent image is visualized as a toner image. Further, in a transfer region, a recording medium such as a paper sheet is pushed on the magnetic recording medium so that the visualized toner image is transferred to the recording medium, and the transferred recording medium is conveyed to a fixing region and subjected to fixing processing, thereby bringing image printing to completion. This system is typically called magnetography.
In the aforementioned system, the magnetized state of the magnetic recording medium is maintained semi-permanently. Therefore, if a latent image is formed once, a large number of copies can be obtained just by carrying out a development/transfer process repeatedly. Further, in order to obtain multiple copies, the latent image does not need to be recorded again, thereby making the system adaptable to high-speed operation. Moreover, magnetism is stable with respect to the environment unlike static electricity, and a high-resolution image can also be obtained.